Network equipment test devices, such as the IxNetwork® test device available from Keysight Technologies, Inc., generate test traffic to test the functionality and performance of network devices under test. The user of a network equipment test device specifies test parameters in advance of executing a test. To allow users to specify test parameters, a network equipment test device includes an application programming interface (API) that defines objects that are used to access test device functions. Examples of test device functions that may be accessed through objects include starting network protocols, such as border gateway protocol (BGP), transmission control protocol (TCP), etc., establishing connections with devices under test, and displaying network performance statistics. To find an object needed for a test, a user searches through documentation or a specification for the test device API and defines instances of objects to execute a given test. The instances of the objects are stored as current test configuration data for a given test configuration.
One problem with APIs used to configure tests for testing network devices is that users may not know where the definition for a given object is located in the API documentation or specification. In some instances, the API documentation or specification may be arranged in a hierarchical manner with multiple levels. The user may not know in which level a desired object definition is located and must manually search through the multiple levels to find the object definitions for which the user wishes to define instances for a given test.
Another related problem occurs when multiple users work on a given test. One user may start defining object instances for a test and store those object instances in a current test configuration datastore associated with a network equipment test device. Another user working on the same test may need to access the object instances defined by the first user. However, the second user may not know where in the current test configuration datastore the first user stored the object instances. Accordingly, the second user is required to manually search through the object instances to locate the instances defined by the first user. The problem is magnified further when more than two users work on a given test.
In light of these difficulties, there exists a need for improved methods, systems, and computer readable media for providing for searching of a hierarchical network equipment test device API specification and current test configuration data.